Vietnam’s fishery output in the first half of this year reached 1.6 million tonnes, up 4.8 percent against the same period last year and fulfilling 54.8 percent of the yearly target

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development attributed the high output to favourable weather conditions during the January-June period.

Of the figure, offshore catch exceeded 1.55 million tonnes, a year-on-year rise of 5 percent while the output caught in inland rivers and lakes was 85,000 tonnes, up 1.2 percent over the corresponding time last year.

The good weather also made it easier for tuna fishing in the central provinces of Binh Dinh, Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa, which brought ashore an estimated 13,026 tonnes, an increase of 21.8 percent year-on-year. Tuna prices at ports ranged between 60,000 VND and 96,000 VND per kilo.

Meanwhile, farm fish output reached 1.69 million tonnes in the reviewed time, rising 6.7 percent year on year, and accounting for 43.3 percent of the annual plan, the ministry said.

Tra fish output hit 583,503 tonnes, equivalent to the number recorded in the same period last year and 50.7 percent of the target set for the whole year although tra fish farming area in the Mekong Delta decreased 16 percent to an estimated 3,076 ha.

During the reviewed period, brackish shrimp farms also produced 216,811 tonnes, up 14.7 percent year-on-year and completing 32.9 percent of the yearly target, on an area of 639,761 ha, an increase of 5.5 percent.

White-leg shrimp farming area expanded by 32.6 percent to 57,680 ha which produced 107,662 tonnes, up 30.8 percent. Meanwhile, with an area of 582,080 ha, up 3.4 percent year-on-year, the output of tiger prawn was 109,149 tonnes, a rise of 2.2 percent.

In the first six months of this year, aquatic products worth 3.5 billion USD have been shipped abroad since the beginning of this year, predominantly to the US, Japan, China and the RoK, marking a 14.1 percent rise.